Alcohol Levels in Wine

How accurate is the alcohol percentage on the front
label of a bottle of Pinot Noir? The fact is, the indicator
of alcohol percentage is almost always on the low side
of the actual alcohol percentage. If the labeled wine is
less than 14% alcohol, there can be a 1.5% variance in
the true alcohol content (ie, a 13.9% wine can be labeled
as 12.4% - 13.9%). If the alcohol level in the wine is
greater than 14%, there can be a 1% variance (ie, a 15%
wine can be labeled as low as 14%). The answer then is
that wines can have significantly more alcohol than the
stated percentage on the label.

Do alcohol levels in wine matter? Well, higher alcohol
wines will sure get you sideways a lot quicker. And if
you are eating out and driving, this is a major consideration.
In a recent letter to the editor of Wine & Spirits
magazine, Bartholomew Broadbent (Broadbent Selections
in San Francisco, California) urged restaurant
owners to list alcohol percentages of wines on their
wine lists.